Machine for backing up electrotype-shells.



C. P. UOTTRELL. MACHINE FOR BACKING UP ELECTROTYPE SHELLS. APPLICATIONFILED JAN.5,1911.

1 ,O34,88 1 Patented Aug. 6, 1912.

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G. P. OOTTRBLL. MACHINE FOR BACKING UP ELEOTROTYPB SHELLS.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES P. COTTRELL, OF WESTERLY, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR T0 C. B.COTTRELL & SONS COMPANY, OF NEW YORK, N. Y., A CORPORATION OF NEWJERSEY.

MACHINE FOB BACKING UP EIJECTROTYPE-SHELLS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 6, 1912.

Application filed January 5, 1911, Serial No. 600,979.

To all wnom it may concern;

of Westerly, in the county of \Vashington and State of Rhode Island,have invented a new and useful Improvement in Machines for Backing UpElectrotype-Shells, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to improvements in machines for backing upelectrotype shells and has for its object to provide, in a machine ofthis character, a backing pan on which an electrotype shell with orwithout an interposed overlay may be held by suction during the castingof the backing up metal onto the shell to complete the plate.

, My invention consists in a machine for backing up electrotype shellshaving a hollow backing pan, the top Wall of which pan is perforated andtheinterior of which is connected to an exhaust pump whereby theelectrotype shell resting upon the pan with or without an interposedoverlay will be held snugly in engagement there-with whereby a-moreperfect electrotype plate may be produced than by the methods heretoforein common use, means being provided for heating the backing pan to therequired temperature.

In the' accompanying drawings, Figure 1 represents the machine in sideelevation, 2 is an end View of the same, Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectiontaken in the plane of the line A-A of Fig. 1, a portion of theperforated top wall of the backing pan being broken away to illustratemore clearly the vacuum chamber, the heating means and the strengtheningpartitions which connect the top and bottom walls of the pan, and Fig. 4is a transverse vertical section taken in the plane of the line B-B ofFig. 1.

The backing up stand comprises side bars 1, 2, and end bars 3, 4,forming an open frame, which frame is supported by suitable legs 5.About midway the length of the stand, a yoke 6 uprises from the sidebars 1 and 2 of the frame, in which yoke is mounted a hand screw 7carrying a pressure plate or platen 8.

The hollow backing pan may be slid along the stand into and out ofposition beneath the platen 8, in the present instance by providing theside bars 1, 2, of the frame with tracks 9, 10, on which the oppositeends of the backing pan rest. This backing pan comprises aperforated top11 and a bottom 12 spaced therefrom to form a vacuum chamber 13.Suitable strengthening partitions 14 are interposed between the top 11 4and the bottom 12 of the backing pan for maintaining the top 11 in aperfectly flat condition by preventing the same from warping or saggingout of shape.

A motordriven exhaust pump serves to exhaust the air from the interiorof the hollow backing pan, which pump is shown herein as a rotaryexhaust pump 15 driven from an electric motor 16, both mounted upon ashelf 17 of the backing up stand, the pump 15 being connected to theinterior of the backing pan through a flexible hose 18 so as to permitthe pan to be moved from one end of the frame to the other withoutdisconnecting it from the exhaust pump. Any suitable means may beprovided for heating thebacking pan to the desired tem' perature thatshown herein comprising an electric device including resistance coils 19located within the hollow space or chamber 18. Electric current may besupplied to this heating device from any suitable source of electricalenergy not shown herein.

In operation, the electrotype shell is placedupon the perforated top ofthe heated hollow backing pan with or without a reverse overlayinterposed between the face of the shell and the pan. The exhaust pump15 may be put into operation for exhausting the air from the backing panand thus exerting a suction upon the shell for holding the shell snuglyin position on the pan. The backing up metal is then poured onto theback of the shell while the shell is held by suction against the backingpan. The pan is then allowed to cool thereby permitting the backingupmetal to cool, while the electrotype shell is held by suction on thepan, thus insuring the formation of an electrotype plate of superiorquality by a very simple means. If it is desired to exert pressure uponthe backing up metal, the backing pan may be moved into position beneaththe platen 8 and the platen screwed down into engagement with the metalfor exerting pressure thereon.

It is evident that various changes might be resorted to in theconstruction, form and arrangement of the several. parts withoutdeparting from the spirit and scope of my invention; hence I do not wishto limit myself strictly to the structure herein set forth, but

What I claim is:

1. In a machine of the character described, an electrotype shellengaging surface and means for holding the shell 'in position thereon bysuction. I

2. In a machine of the character described, an electrotype shellengaging surface, means for holding the shell in position thereon bysuction and means for heating said surface.

3. In a machine of the character described, an electrotype shellengaging perforated surface and means for holding the shell thereon bysuction.

4. In a machine of the character described, an electrotype shellengaging perforated surface, means for holding theshell thereon bysuction and means for heating said perforated surface.

5. In a machine of the character described, a backing pan having anelectrotype shell engaging surface and a suction device for holding theshell in position on said surface.

6. In a machine of the character described, a backing pan having anelectrotype shell engaging surface, a suction device for holding theshell in position on said surface and' means for heating said surface.

7. In a machine of the character described, a backing pan having anelectrotype shell engaging perforated surface and a suction device forholding the shell in position on said perforated surface.

8. In a machine of the character described, a backing pan having anelectrotype shell engaging perforated surface, a suction device forholding the shell in position on said perforated surface and means forheating said surface.

9. In a machine of the character described, a hollow backing pan havingperforations through its electrotype shell engaging wall and means forexhausting the air rom said pan for causing the shell to be held againstsaid perforated Wall by suction.

10. In a machine of the character described, a hollow backing pan havingperforations through its electrotype shell engaging wall, means forexhausting the air from said pan for causing the shell to be heldagainst said perforated wall by suction and means for heating saidbacking pan.

11. In a machine of the character described, a hollow backing pan havingperforations through its electrotype shell engaging wall and an exhaustpump connected to the interior of the backing pan whereby the shell maybe held in position on said perforated wall by suction, by the operationof the pump.

12. In a machine of the character described, a hollow backing pan havingperforations through its electrotype shell enaging wall, an exhaust pumpconnected to the interior of the backing pan whereby the shell may beheld in position on said perforated Wall by suction, by the operation ofthe pump and means for heating said backing pan.

In testimony, that I claim the foregoing as my invention, I have signedmy name in presence of two Witnesses, this third day of January A. D.1911.

CHARLES P. COTTRELL.

Witnesses:

A. R. STILLMAN, G, BURDIGH.

